Diagnosis and treatment of cancer

摘要

A method of diagnosing cancer in a human patient comprising the steps of (i) obtaining a sample containing nucleic acid and/or protein from the patient; and (ii) determining whether the sample contains a level of hNe-Na voltage-gated Na⁺ channel nucleic acid or protein associated with cancer. A method of treating cancer comprising the step of administering to the patient an agent which selectively prevents the function of hNe-Na voltage-gated Na⁺ channel. A genetic construct comprising a nucleic acid encoding a molecule capable of preventing the function of hNe-Na voltage-gated Na⁺ channel expressed in a cell. The methods and compositions are particularly suited to prostate cancer.